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Luke 14 "Someone Else's Seat"
Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" And they could not answer Him regarding these things. So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them; "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man, and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:1-11)
I often see this happening at wedding ceremonies. Usually
the first few rows are reserved for family, with the parents and brothers
and sisters of the bride and groom in the first row. But from the second
row the uncles and aunts, grandparents and cousins all hesitate before
sitting down. I have seen some weddings where nobody sat in the second
row at all for fear of sitting in someone else's seat! Jesus said "Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
I went to look last week at the building in Machida that we are trying
to buy for the church. It is quite interesting to see the levels in
that building. On the first floor there is a reception area for guests
that is beautifully decorated, and in back a work area with walls that
are yellow from cigarette smoke. On the second floor there is a room
for the construction workers that is not much better. On the third floor
there is a room for the architects and draftsmen, and a room for the
office workers. These rooms are much cleaner and nicer. And finally
on the fourth floor there is a room that is paneled in wood, with leather
seats and a huge mahogany desk and a sign on the door that says "Shachou"
(President) The world thinks that if you make it to the top you need
to sit in the big leather chair, drive a big Mercedes, have the big
office on the top floor. But be careful! You might just be sitting in
somebody elses seat.
If there was anybody who had the right to take the top spot, the biggest
chair, it would have to have been Moses. Can you think of anyone else
who has impacted the world more than him, besides Jesus himself? Moses
is the one who brought Israel out of Egypt and into world history. Moses
is the one who wrote the beginning of the Bible, from Genesis to Deuteronomy.
Moses is the one who really set the pattern for Judaism to become a
great religion. Moses is the one who wrote the law codes that most of
the world's nations have used as a model. Moses is the one who was speaking
face to face with God as a man speaks to his friend. And yet the Bible
says that, "Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on
the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3) In fact he was so humble
that his own brother and sister started to criticise him and tell him
what to do. Could you imagine anybody trying to criticise the "Shachou"
of that company in his big leather chair in his big office, driving
around in his big Mercedes? No way! But Moses didn't make himself look
important. Moses didn't create some artificial pillar to seat himself
on top of. Moses was humble, so much so that Aaron and Miriam didn't
think it wrong to criticise him. But God intervened and said to them
that with other prophets He speaks in prophecies and dreams, but with
Moses, face to face. God lifts Moses up. God exalts Moses. Moses himself
didn't do anything, in fact he got down on his knees and prayed that
God would forgive them. You see Moses knew who was really great. Moses
knew how weak and powerless he really was compared to the Almighty.
I am very impressed by a man in our church who really is a "Shachou"
and yet every time I am around him I can't help but think what a humble
man he is. He has not positioned himself at the top. Instead he is waiting
for his Lord to say, "Friend, go up higher".
Of course there is a lot of false humility that goes around as well.
Sometimes we try to play a "reverse psychology" kind of game,
always trying to be the first at being last. We make it a contest to
see who can be the best at being humble. But true humility starts when
the contests end. True humility begins when you stop comparing yourself
with other people and instead evaluate yourself with the scale that
Jesus uses. When Jesus brought the diseased man into the Pharisees fancy
dinner party He was measuring them in His scale and found them wanting.
He asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, but they didn't
answer. Nobody wanted to look foolish in front of the others. They were
more concerned about their own pride than this man who was suffering.
Jesus rebuked them saying that any one of them wouldn't hesitate to
pull one of their own animals out of a pit on the Sabbath, but couldn't
care less for this their fellow human being. Humility is always measured
in love. Humility is measured in our willingness to give up, to risk,
to serve without pay, even though it might make us look bad. True humility
is not a reflection of a low opinion of yourself. Instead it is the
result of confidence, the result of being rich, full, satisfied. As
I trust in Jesus I no longer have to look around to measure myself against
others. I am secure in who I am as a child of God. Really it is the
man driving the big car, with the big desk and big office that is unsure
of himself; the man who has to sit in the best seat whose self image
is weak.
Then He also said to him who invited Him. "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready,' But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it, I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them, I ask you to have me excused." Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of these men who were invited shall taste my supper.' (Luke 14:12-24)
Jesus counseled the Pharisees to invite the poor, the
maimed, the lame and the blind to their parties. He said this because
the feasts of the Pharisees had become a social club. They were solely
interested in "networking", entertaining people who then would
be obligated to entertain them. Meeting people to give them an "in"
in business or society. One Pharisee countered Jesus by saying, "Blessed
is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" His point was
that these poor people's salvation was much more important than their
stomachs. The Pharisees were teaching them how to live righteous lives
before God, why did they need to feed them too? Jesus answered this
man by calling into question his assumption. When the Pharisee said,
"Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"
He was naturally assuming that he himself would be one of those at the
heavenly feast. But Jesus tells them the story of those who were invited
to the feast but did not care enough to come. When the summons came
to attend the meal, one was worried about his land, another about his
goods, another about his wife, each one making excuses. When the call
from God comes in your life, will you be like these men? Too busy with
your own stuff to listen to God. Too concerned with how you rank compared
to others to do what God tells you to do? What happened in the end to
these men who did not come when they were called? The servant of the
master went out into the highways and hedges and called others to come
in and take their places. If you are focused on yourself, your things,
your status, then even though the invitation comes you won't be ready
to receive it.
Most every night when my wife Rie calls me for dinner I am in my room
working at the computer. Rie calls, "Dinner's ready!" and
I answer back "I'm coming". But even as the words are going
out of my mouth I am doing one more thing I just have to get done. "Dinner's
ready!" she calls again, "I'm coming" and yet I am still
seated at my desk. "Dinner's ready!!", "I'm coming".
By the time I actually get to the table the dinner is cold and my wife
is steaming. But sometimes I actually make it to the table before she
calls. I am there helping her put the dishes around, bringing the food
out of the kitchen. Do you know when? It is when I am hungry! When I
haven't had any lunch that day and I am starving, I am never late for
dinner. This is why Jesus says to invite the poor, the maimed, the lame
and the blind. They are hungry. They will appreciate the meal, they
will savor every last bite. When Jesus calls the correct response is
not "I'm coming", it is "Here I am". If you are
searching for Jesus Christ do not take too long. Really, if you are
searching for Jesus, He is not difficult to find. It is not as if He
is hiding, He is searching for you too. But if you are hesitating because
you are afraid of giving up your things, afraid of commitment, afraid
of looking bad in front of others, afraid of counting the cost, then
you are saying to Jesus "I'm coming" without leaving your
seat. Stop making excuses and come and join the feast! If you are hungry
for Jesus, don't wait any longer. Come to the table and taste and see
that the Lord is good. I would like to invite you today to come to Jesus
Christ. Even if you are thinking, "I don't really know Him.",
"I don't really understand everything yet", it is alright.
If you are hungry then Jesus is inviting you to come and be filled.
If you would like to come to Jesus, to receive Him in your heart today,
do one thing; get up out of your seat and walk forward. We can pray
a simple prayer together asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, to
forgive you of your sins and fill you with His Spirit, His joy, His
love, His grace.
Luke 14: 25-35 "Counting the Cost"
Now great multitudes went with Him. and He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Luke 14:25-35)
Our desire is to see as many people saved as we can. We
would love to be a church with ten times as many people as are here
today. But with more people also comes more problems. Jesus wrestled
with feeding the crowds, finding a place to speak where everyone could
hear and He wouldn't be trampled, and the wrong expectations that people
put on Him. But these weren't the only difficulties of being so succesful.
You see it is very hard to be personal with a great crowd of people,
and real spiritual growth happens on the personal level. Jesus picked
out twelve men and a few women with whom He spent most of His time.
He spoke to great crowds as well. But it was through the men and women
whom He spent personal time with that the church was started and the
gospel was proclaimed. And so Jesus turned to the great multitude that
was following Him and said words that must of shocked them. "If
anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and
children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot
be My disciple." You can almost see that crowd starting to get
thinner. "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me
cannot be My disciple." More people leave to go home. "For
which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and
count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it" These are hard
sayings. It seems to me that Jesus was trying to make that crowd smaller.
It seems to me that Jesus was saying things calculated to make Himself
less popular. Maybe "more and more" is not always better if
Jesus is not at the center. There is a big temptation in a large church
to just be one more person listening to the sermon. We start to think
that if we don't come this morning, nobody will know the difference,
and we can always pick up the sermon tape next week to catch up on what
we missed. In a large church you can leave right after the service and
never really have to talk with the pastor at all. It is safe and easy.
I am convinced of three things about my faith. The first thing is that
I am saved by the grace of God, not by anything special that I have
done but by what Jesus did on the cross for me. I am convinced that
salvation is free. But I am also convinced that being a Christian is
not safe and it is not easy. A friend of mine was living a few doors
down from me at seminary. He was also from Oregon and we often played
tennis together and discussed our studies together. One day as we were
playing tennis I noticed that he had horrible scars on both of his upper
arms. I asked him about them and he told me that he was having some
old tattoos surgically removed. Now because the tattoos are burned into
the third layer of skin they are incredibly difficult to take out. He
described the process as cutting off a layer of skin, letting it scar
and heal, then cutting off another layer of skin, letting that scar
and heal, and then finally cutting off the layer with the tatoo. The
whole process is both costly and painful, but this man wanted to be
a pastor and the tatoos were pictures that were blasphemous and evil.
As I talked with this man further I realized that for him those tattoos
were symbolic of his old sinful life before he met Christ.
Imagine with me for a moment if everything on the inside of your heart
were tatooed on the outside of your skin. All of the evil thoughts,
hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness that is inside burned into your skin
so that everyone could see. This is exactly what happened with my friend.
He actually payed someone to burn the evil thoughts in his heart onto
his skin. But then Jesus came and freely forgave my friend the sins
that were in his heart. Jesus freely took this mans sins upon Himself
and gave him a new heart, fresh and clean. But of course those terrible
tattoos were still there and everytime my friend looked down he saw
those awful marks mocking his faith and mocking his God. Actually we
all have marks and scars on our bodies from our sinful life. Some of
these scars are obvious but others are much more subtle. Some are physical
but others are scars on our minds and emotions. We all have places that
are too tender to touch because they have been wounded before, and places
that are hardened over where we cannot feel anything anymore.
Just like my friend who was set free from sin, we also need to remove
these residues of sin from our lives. This is the part of the Christian
life that is not safe and is not easy. This is the part where Jesus
asks us to count the cost. It is safe to sit in a church and listen
to a sermon and remind ourselves that our sins are forgiven. But Jesus
does not wan't to stop there. He wants to heal our bodies and our minds
as well. He wants to set us free from our chains. He wants to convict
us of sins in our lives and show us how to get victory over them. But
this is not safe and it is not easy.
For the last few months I have been suffering from a spot on my little
toe where the skin had gotten harder and harder and had built up and
rubbed against my shoe as I walked. I knew that it was there but I just
ignored it and hoped that it would go away. In fact, it got quite painful,
hurting me to stand up or walk any distance, but still stubbornly I
refused to do anything about it. Finally, it became obvious to Rie who
demanded that I show it to her. By that time it was really gross and
sore and everytime she touched it I pulled my foot out of her hands.
Do you see that it was "safer" for me to hide it, rather than
have her touch it, or have to go to the doctor? Do you see how it was
"easier" to ignore it than to do something about it? But actually
once Rie saw it she was able to put some medicine on it and get rid
of it altogether. How many sores and callouses are you ignoring in your
spiritual life, hoping that they will go away. Are you being crippled
in your spiritual walk, by something as small as pain in your little
toe? Jesus doesn't want you just to sit in church on Sunday and listen
to the sermon. He wants you to grow in your faith to be more and more
like Him. He wants to use you to love others, to set others free, to
heal others.
Jesus said to the crowd, "For which of you, intending to build
a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has
enough to finish it-- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is
not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This
man began to build and was not able to finish." Let me ask you,
do you want to be a tower? Do you want to be a monument to the glory
of God, to which everyone will look and see the love and grace of Jesus
Christ. Do you want to be a lighthouse shining for Jesus, showing the
way to our safe harbor? If so, there is a lot of work to be done and
you need to count the cost. It won't be easy or safe. Are you willing
to carry your cross? Or do you want to settle for being a run-down room
in an old apartment building of which you are really ashamed to let
anyone see the inside of because it is so poor. Maybe you are thinking,
"But I have counted the cost and this is all I can afford. This
is the best I can do." The other night the elders sat down with
Pastor Hirano and counted the cost for the new building. "Well
the cost of the new building is 170 million yen, and we have 40 million
yen in savings." We want to buy a large 4-story building but we
can barely afford to buy a condo. But wait, good news, somebody knows
a bank that will let us borrow what we need to make up the difference.
Christian, there is good news for you too! When you count the cost,
don't just look at yourself, but also remember that Jesus is offering
you a line of credit as well. By yourself you can't afford much. But
with Jesus loaning you strength much more is possible.
Jesus also said, "Or what king, going to make war against another
king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten
thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or
else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation
and asks conditions of peace." As far as our spirit is concerned,
Jesus has won the victory already, but we are still engaged with the
enemy in a battle for our minds and flesh. Like the king going out to
battle with half as many soldiers as his opponent, this is a battle
that we cannot win on our own. Like that king it would be better just
to give up than to try. In fact all of the examples that Jesus gives;
of carrying the cross, of counting the cost for a tower, of considering
the battle. They are all impossible unless you realize that Jesus is
on your side. Unless you have Jesus with you, unless you can add Jesus
in when you count your assets, it would be better to give up because
you are not really following Jesus at all. Our flavor is Jesus. Without
Him we are nothing, useless salt to be thrown away. Everything we do
is meaningless without Him. Without Him, the cost is much too great.
But with Him, our small savings can afford to build a great tower. With
Him our little army can defeat an enemy twice its size. With Him, our
five loaves and two fishes can feed a great multitude. With Him, we
can bear to have our minds and flesh cleansed from the scars of sin.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Count
the cost, but don't forget to add Jesus into the calculation.
Growing is not safe. You will find that Jesus will require you to do
things, trust Him for things that you never thought possible. It is
not easy. This is why Jesus asks us to count the cost before we begin.
I invite you today to take a deep look into your heart. Are you willing
to risk? Are you willing to sacrifice? Are you willing to trust that
His grace will be sufficient for you? If so, then you are ready to follow
Christ like the disciples, with all your mind and heart and strength.
You're ready to let Jesus look at even the tender places and be healed
of the scars of sin.
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